Ndaona Satema admits getting K167mil ‘Cashgate’ in her account: Denies getting 10% commission

Ndaona Satema, one of the accused persons in the K2.4 billion Cashgate also involving former budget director Paul Mphwiyo, confessed that her account was used to deposit money from the looting in public funds at Capital Hill known as Cashgate.

DPP Mary Kachale:  They knew it was Cashgate

Satema of Kanengo Building Contractors admitted in court through her lawyer Moses Nkhono  to have received three cheques amounting to K167 million which she deposited in her company account and later cashed out and remitted the cash to Cashgate convict Leonard Kalonga who masterminded payments from government through several contractors,.

But Satema who pleaded not guilty to a money laundering charge  claimed she did not  received her 10 percent commission from Kalonga and she has told the court that she was not aware that the cheques were of money stolen from the Malawi government.

Nkhono told the court that Satema admits three cheques went through her account.

“But the admission of these facts is not admitting the offence,” the lawyer argued.

Kalonga—who was convicted of charges of conspiracy to defrauding government, facilitating money laundering and money laundering— testified that Satema got her 10 percent commission.

Director of Public Prosecution, Mary Kachale told Judge Esmie Chambo that Satema and other suspects confirmed their account were used to cash Cashgate cheques from government but “they are disputing that they took 10 percent.”

Kachale said the suspect including Stanford Mpoola of Stadal Building contractors,  Fatch Chungano of Makhausi, Sympathy Chisale of  Mchemani Building Contractors  “knew the purpose of which this money was being  drawn.”

Mphwiyo, former accountant general David Kandoje and one Auzius Kazombo-Mwale and convicted civil servant Maxwell Namata denied various counts, including conspiracy to defraud, theft by a public servant, theft by a servant, negligence and money laundering, among others.

Others who pleaded not guilty to related charges were Steven Phiri, George Banda, Michael Mphatso, Samuel Mzanda, Andrews Chilalika,  Clemence Madzi, Rosevelt Ndovi, Mpoola,  Chungano, Cecilia Ng’ambi, Gerald Magaleta Phiri and Chisale.

Businessperson Limumba Karim is on the run in South Africa after absconding bail and a warrant of arrest was issued by the court.

The theft led international donors, which bankroll the country’s budget by up to 40%, to pull the plug on aid worth $150m until the government in Lilongwe cleans up the situation.

Political commentators have expressed fears that donors will suspend aid indefinitely because it could take years for the courts to complete cases that implicate several senior officials of the People’s party of former president Joyce Banda, as well as top civil servants and business people.

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dowa boy
7 years ago

Let’s stone to death those are accused of cashgate just like we do with others who are caught and accused of stealing chicken or other things. Its unfortunate have never met this people in person but marking my words I can stab them to death if I meet them. Aziyenda mosamala am after them now one by one.many soul were lost cause of this

koma abale inu eeh
koma abale inu eeh
7 years ago

Many of these accused individuals should just start making reservations for beds or spaces on the floor to sleep on when, not if, they get to jail. They have no chance of avoiding jail time, unless they are sick. Really sick that they can’t get out of “bed”. One thing they will have going for them while in prison is moderation on the part of the guards. Sentencing these kind of criminals to HARD LABOR is de rigeur, among judges in Malawi. Most of the work is back breaking, worse than hoeing in the garden to be sure. Like when… Read more »

mphatso
mphatso
7 years ago

Cashgate has a woman face. Women were factored in the equation some satisfying the formula, others in the result. Satemwa, Senzani etc. Greedy stimulates the inclusion

Kamuzu 11
Kamuzu 11
7 years ago

Section 10 of The Money Laundering Act states that a person has benefited from an offence if the person has at any time received any payment in connection with, or derived from, the commission of serious crime, whether committed by that person or another person…………..

mmc
mmc
7 years ago

Bingu never sololad money from account number one. But these PP people and civil servants did just that. 236m anaikoka ndi a PP Kamlepo and Harry in order to distract the public from this show cause they knew it was coming soon rather than later

Gogo
Gogo
7 years ago
Reply to  mmc

Was kamplemo an mp wen 500 million mumaba? In 8years sungamange ndata if u honest…even chair,kamuzu Ababa ndithu….Bingu’s worthy need to be audited. Why is it that minister of finance is not being questioned in all this cashgate…these are huge amounts to be withdrawn without his knowledge

Nkhuluru
Nkhuluru
7 years ago

Ndaona,how sad and pity I feed for you zomsezi ndi mtima wosakhutitsidwa, this is the price one pays for greedy and now you hve destroyed the reputation of your family.Someone should be groaning and turning in HIS grave and you know who.Madre de Deo now this is the time to encounter the reality show dont if you will survive.

kelvin hill
7 years ago

Sipakufunikaso umboni wina arrest them all finish

mokgakolodi ngele
7 years ago

donors will only come back after the bingu stolen moneys which mathanyula is keeping are returned to poor malawian souls!!!!!!!!!!!!

zembo
7 years ago

This is embarrassing

Mgoloso
Mgoloso
7 years ago

If indeed Bingu stole money, why not even a single Malawian has opened a case against him?. The BEST is to sue him and get his wealth back to government coffers. Malawians are TOO GOOD at fabricating stories against each other other than against people from other countries. We have a lot of crooked Indians, Burundians, Ruandans and Chinese in the country but none of them is being spotted by the so-called concerned Malawians and Civil Society Organizations. The obvious reason is that Civil Society Organization leaders are also dirty in their hands. People like for example; Sembereka, Trapence, are… Read more »

Gogo
Gogo
7 years ago
Reply to  Mgoloso

Why attacking civil society in this? How sure are u bingu sanabe? In ur honest opinion can u build ndata in 8years? Bingu anaba ndithu the question is to prove it. But the audit report shows unasowa ndalama from 2004_2009. Who was president? Was it trapence?osamangolemba coz u can. Write zanzeru

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